Part 2

Patrick McCartan / McCarten (abt. 1830-1899)

In the preceding post, I introduced three brothers (Michael, Patrick, and Hugh), and I wrote about Michael, my great-great grandfather.

The brothers were born in County Down, in the 1830s. They came of age during the Great Famine, survived, and (sooner or later) emigrated from County Down, their ancestral home.

Michael appears to have been the first to leave, sailing to America in 1853. Patrick then joined him, likely sometime in the 1860s (the exact timing is unclear). Hugh left for England much later. He married Elizabeth Morgan in County Down in 1860; there they raised a large family in a sloping townland called Slievenisky. By 1881, Hugh and family were living in England.

Each of the brothers died a McCarten — Michael and Patrick lived their remaining days (decades, in fact) in Dubuque, Iowa. Hugh lived out his days in Liverpool.

Patrick McCartan / McCarten was my great-great uncle. In this post I’ll start with some basic details about what I know about Patrick, as well as some of the big open questions about him.

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I’m posting these stories for two reasons. First, to record, preserve, and share what I’ve found so far. Second, in the hopes that another descendant knows more about these brothers than I do, and is willing to share.

I welcome any information, leads, or other feedback in the comments — or please feel free to contact me directly.

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What I know about Patrick

Compared to his brothers’ lives, Patrick’s life was not well documented. To some extent this is because Patrick is among the most common of Irish names; he also did not marry, and did not have children.

All of the following details are substantiated by primary-source materials:

Circa 1830: Born in County Down, present-day Northern Ireland.

Mid-1860s: Immigrated to Dubuque, Iowa.

Sep. 1868: Naturalized as a United States citizen.

1870s – 1899: Residences and Occupations

Reported Travel

  • County Down, circa 1888-1889: On June 7, 1889, the Dubuque Daily Herald reported that “Mr. P. McCarten has returned from a six months’ visit to Ireland. He remained most of the time in County Down, where he was born. He had a good time, but says he would rather live in Uncle Sam’s dominions.”
    • The timing roughly coincided with the untimely passing of 18-year-old Lizzie McCartan / McCarten (daughter of Hugh, then of Liverpool), who died of typhoid fever on August 15, 1888, at the home of her uncle (Michael) in Dubuque.
      • My speculation is that Patrick may have traveled overseas to deliver the news in person to his brother, Hugh. (Note, however, that Hugh and family by then were living in Liverpool, as opposed to County Down.)
      • Lizzie was buried in Resurrection Catholic Cemetery in Dubuque, where the inscription reads: “Lizzie Niece of Michael McCarten Born in Co. Down Ireland Died in Dubuque Aug. 15, 1888 Aged 18 Years.”
    • Patrick’s reported travel to and from County Down is not clearly reflected in any U.S., Irish, or English immigration / emigration records (including passenger lists and U.S. passport application files).
  • Mississippi, winter 1894-1895: On April 12, 1895, the Dubuque Daily Herald reported that “P. McCarten has returned from the south after passing the winter in Mississippi, the guest of his nephews.”
    • The “nephews” in the article are very likely P. Henry McCarten ((b. 1866 Iowa – d. 1913 Mississippi) son of Patrick’s brother Michael), and Hugh McCartan / McCarten ((b. 1863 County Down – d. 1950 Tennessee) son of Patrick’s brother Hugh).
      • Henry and Hugh were prominent engineers. At various times from at least 1890 until Henry’s death in 1913, they received government contracts to construct levees, roads, and railroads.
    • At the time Patrick visited Mississippi in 1894/1895, the nephews were also in business with Hugh Morgan ((b. 1844 County Down – d. 1906 Tennessee), brother of Patrick’s sister-in-law, Elizabeth Morgan / McCarten).
      • Hugh Morgan was a bridge between the three brothers (Michael and Patrick in America, and Hugh in Liverpool). At some point he will get his own post.
      • To illustrate, Hugh Morgan appears to have been a frequent visitor to the McCarten family in Dubuque. So much so, in fact, that in November 1901, Hugh Morgan married Michael McCarten’s sister-in-law, Mary J. Savage (b. 1847 Iowa – d. 1903 Iowa) — at which time, both were unmarried and in their mid- to late-50s.

Oct. 13, 1899: Patrick, then aged 70 years (according to his obituary), passed away at Mercy Hospital in Dubuque, Iowa. Patrick’s obituary contained more details about his life than any other source:

Patrick McCarten, an old and highly respected resident of Dubuque, died at Mercy hospital at 9 yesterday morning. Deceased was born in County Down, Ireland, seventy years ago, and had been a resident of Dubuque for about thirty-five years. He is survived by two brothers, Michael, of Dubuque, and Hugh, of Liverpool, England. Mr. McCarten was never married. He was a man much beloved by his friends and neighbors, honorable in all his dealings and a true Christian. Bennett Bros. will have charge of the funeral, which will be held this morning to [sic] St. Philomena’s.

Dubuque Daily Herald, October 14, 1899

Oct. 14, 1899: The local newspaper also covered Patrick’s funeral and interment:

The funeral of the late Patrick McCarten took place yesterday morning at 9 o’clock, from the residence of his brother, Michael, on Curtis street and Grandview avenue, to St. Columbkill’s [sic] church, where services were conducted by Father Fogarty. The interment was at Asbury, where Rev. Father O’Malley officiated. The pall bearers were Matthew Fagan, John McEvoy, James Morgan, W.J. Byrne, J.M. Connolly and Patrick Scanlon. Bennett Bros. had charge of the funeral arrangements.

Dubuque Sunday Herald, October 15, 1899

(Some of) The Big Open Questions

In the preceding post, I noted some basic open questions about Patrick’s brother Michael. All of the same questions obtain to Patrick, plus a few others:

When and where exactly was Patrick born?

  • No birth or baptismal records appear to exist for Patrick.
  • Available information suggests Patrick was probably around four or five years older than Michael (who was almost certainly born in 1835).
    • Patrick’s October 1899 obituary seems to suggest that he was born in 1829.
    • The 1885 Iowa Census likewise suggests that Patrick was older than Michael (though the specific ages listed may not have been correct). The census showed Michael (then aged 48 years) and Patrick (then aged 52 years) residing at Michael’s home in Dubuque.

When exactly did Patrick emigrate, and did he travel directly to Iowa?

  • No emigration or immigration records clearly show when Patrick emigrated.
  • Based on Patrick’s naturalization as a U.S. citizen in 1868, as well as the information in his obituary, Patrick seems to have arrived in Dubuque sometime in the mid-1860s.

Why is Patrick not listed on multiple federal and state censuses?

  • The 1885 Iowa Census (when Patrick was living at his brother’s house in Dubuque) is the only census on which Patrick appeared.
  • On the assumption that Patrick was residing in Iowa on a more or less continuous basis between the mid-1860s until his death in 1899, he should have appeared in the following four censuses:
    • U.S. Census: 1870 and 1880
    • Iowa Census: 1885 and 1895

In the next post, I’ll discuss Hugh McCartan / McCarten

  • Oct. 1899 – Patrick McCarten Obituary
  • Oct. 1899 – Patrick McCarten Funeral
  • Jun. 1889 – Patrick’s Return from County Down
  • Apr. 1895 – Patrick’s Return from Mississippi
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